Lakeview to Steens Back Country Byway

Lakeview, Oregon

A 90-mile Type I and II byway that crosses a wide variety of landscapes and ecosystems between Lakeview and Frenchglen in south central Oregon. The Lakeview to Steens Back Country Byway travels 90 miles across Oregon’s high Great Basin Desert through a variety of life zones from Sonoran to Hudsonian, past great shallow lakes and wetlands in Warner Valley, and over Hart Mountain, a dramatic fault-block mountain.
This is a land of wild views: distant snowcapped mountains that hover like clouds over far horizons, mirages that shimmer above immense dry lake beds, and sagebrush that spreads a gray carpet across low hills broken by intermittent canyons and rimrock lava flows. Special Attractions: Fremont National Forest, Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, Warner Valley wetlands, camping, hiking, wildlife watching and photography, hot springs, rock-hounding. This eTrail is a complete description of a scenic drive with a route map and information on the best travel seasons, interesting sites, recreation opportunities, camping locations, and much more.

"A 90-mile Type I and II byway that crosses a wide variety of landscapes and ecosystems between Lakeview and Frenchglen in south central Oregon. The Lakeview to Steens Back Country Byway travels 90 miles across Oregon’s high Great Basin Desert through a variety of life zones from Sonoran to Hudsonian, past great shallow lakes and wetlands in Warner Valley, and over Hart Mountain, a dramatic fault-block mountain.

This is a land of wild views: distant snowcapped mountains that hover like clouds over far horizons, mirages that shimmer above immense dry lake beds, and sagebrush that spreads a gray carpet across low hills broken by intermittent canyons and rimrock lava flows. Special Attractions: Fremont National Forest, Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, Warner Valley wetlands, camping, hiking, wildlife watching and photography, hot springs, rock-hounding. This eTrail is a complete description of a scenic drive with a route map and information on the best travel seasons, interesting sites, recreation opportunities, camping locations, and much more."